What PS3 games can be stored on an external drive?

[Tyger]

So when I filled up the 120GB drive on my PS3 I swapped it out for a 500GB, but this is also now full. I don't really want to upgrade again as I figured I can get a case for the old 120GB (still not in use) then use it as an external, but I know a lot of games won't run off an external. So my questions are:

1. What games can I store on an external drive? Does it make a difference if they are PS+ downloads or purchased, and what about PS2 and PS1 games I've got from the PS Store and PS+? Any different?

2. How is game data downloaded from a disc-based game like GT6 treated? And DLC? Still issues?

3. Is it possible to format the external drive specifically for use on just my PS3 so there wouldn't be any problems storing whatever I want on there? I am guessing not but it would make sense for Sony to implement this.

4. Another option is storing some games on the external and copying/moving them to the internal when I want to play them, which presumably would be a faster transfer than re-downloading from the PS Store. Is this possible?

Thankies!

 

[Tornado]

I'm pretty sure, without doing things of questionable legality, none one of none games are able to be played off of external storage on the PS3.

 

[GTPorsche]

PS3 does not use external HDDs for game data storage.

You can store anything other than game data on external drives for usage on the PS3. Just has to be a FAT32 formatted drive.

 

[Tyger]

Thanks guys, originally thought that was the case but saw one or two things elsewhere that seemed to contradict it. Even if the game data could be backed up onto an external but only playable on the original PS3 (by moving it back again) that would be OK, but seems to not be possible, only the whole contents of the internal drive

 

[Pseudopod]

I'm wondering what you're using your PS3 for to run out of 500 GB . I mean I have a 1TB drive but I don't even use half of it, and if I did I know of at least 100GB of stuff I could easily delete

 

[Tyger]

Well I've been a member of Playstation Plus for about 3 years, and bought a fair few games from the PS Store. Some games are crazy big, I think some Hitman game I got from PS+ was 17GB or something. Also I haven't worked my way through a ton of them yet, so yeah perhaps I should do that and delete the ones I might not play again, or at a much later date. I may make an excel listing all the games so I can keep track better and not "forget" I didn't download/try one or two yet.